Police are appealing for public assistance after a Campbellfield restaurant was targeted in a deliberate arson attack earlier this month.
Emergency services were called to the Hume Highway business about 4.30am on Tuesday, May 21, following reports of a fire.
CCTV shows a silver Mercedes Benz E240 sedan ramming the door of the venue before a man dressed in black enters carrying a red jerry can.
The man pours fuel around the bar and sets it alight – only for his own clothing to catch fire as he flees.
He attempts to get back into the car but is forced to roll on the wet ground to extinguish the flames.
The Mercedes, bearing cloned plates, was later recovered.
The same business was also targeted in a separate incident on November 6, 2024, police said.
Police have released CCTV footage and are calling for anyone who recognises the man, described as about 170-175cm tall with a large build and olive complexion, to come forward.
“This is yet another example of just how unpredictable fire is and the inherent dangers of arson – it is probable this man will have needed some kind of treatment for significant burns,” Detective Inspector Graham Banks said.
“We are conscious that those lighting the fires are likely the puppets for those pulling the strings…and they are being left with serious–or life-changing–burn injuries. We need the community’s support and assistance.”
